MD88 crew was informed there was smoke in the aft cabin.

Attributes
ACN	415393
Time
Date	199809
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	415393
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While climbing through FL350 for FL370, a flight attendant reported via interphone that she smelled something and that an aft lavatory smoke detector was sounding. She could not identify the source of the smell. In order to quickly identify or eliminate nuisance odor sources, I sent the first officer back to the cabin for a quick check. When the first officer left the cockpit, I forgot to put on my oxygen mask. The first officer returned to report faint smoke in the aft cabin. We initiated an emergency descent and the smoke/fumes checklist. Oxygen masks were not used due to the localized nature of the smoke. The flight diverted to gso without further incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW WAS INFORMED THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE AFT CABIN.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL350 FOR FL370, A FLT ATTENDANT RPTED VIA INTERPHONE THAT SHE SMELLED SOMETHING AND THAT AN AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR WAS SOUNDING. SHE COULD NOT IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL. IN ORDER TO QUICKLY IDENT OR ELIMINATE NUISANCE ODOR SOURCES, I SENT THE FO BACK TO THE CABIN FOR A QUICK CHK. WHEN THE FO LEFT THE COCKPIT, I FORGOT TO PUT ON MY OXYGEN MASK. THE FO RETURNED TO RPT FAINT SMOKE IN THE AFT CABIN. WE INITIATED AN EMER DSCNT AND THE SMOKE/FUMES CHKLIST. OXYGEN MASKS WERE NOT USED DUE TO THE LOCALIZED NATURE OF THE SMOKE. THE FLT DIVERTED TO GSO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.